Press Release: Aug 31, 2005
For Immediate Release
Local Firm & Velodrome Form Joint Relief Effort
The Lehigh Valley Velodrome and Phoenix Sports Technology of Trexlertown have formed a joint partnership to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The campaign will center on collecting cash donations at this Friday evening’s Velodrome event, the Morning Call’s “Fastest Man of Wheels”. Phoenix Sports Technology has graciously offered to match whatever donations are collected by the Velodrome that evening. The donations will go directly to the American Red Cross and be earmarked for their Hurricane Katrina relief efforts across the South.
People attending the event will be able to make a donation in the Velodrome’s plaza at a booth set up by the American Red Cross. Later that evening, volunteers will go through the stands at the event so that anyone that did not have the opportunity to make a donation earlier can do so. Once the amount donated that evening has been totaled, Phoenix will match that amount with its own donation.
Phoenix Sports Technology, an internationally acclaimed sports timing company headed by Fred and Hilda Patton, has been a generous donor to local non-profit organizations such as the Velodrome in the past. But something very “specific” to this natural disaster especially seemed to touch them. “The nature of our business allows us to travel to some of the areas that were the hardest hit”, noted owner Hilda Patton. “To see such devastation happen in parts of the U.S. that we’ve enjoyed so much has been heartbreaking and we felt the need to do something.” Co-owner Fred Patton added, “We knew that many of our cycling friends would probably share our view but we weren’t sure how to reach most of them for donations in a timely manner. That’s where the idea of using the Velodrome event came in; most of them attend the weekly race anyway. As we suspected, the Velodrome recognized the gravity of the situation as well and they were quick to join the effort.”
http://www.mcall.com/sports/all-velodromesep03,0,607140...?coll=all-sports-hed
The weekend effort was very well received. $2800.00 was raised from spectators, officials, staff, volunteers, and riders at the Velodrome. Phoenix Sports has sent a check for $2800.00 to the Red Cross for a drive total of $5600.00
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